Brazill chose weed over money, is treated differently than Irsay

When he failed a drug test last year and was suspended four games, he said he knew he couldn’t slip up again.

“It’s either money or marijuana,” Brazill said last July before training camp, via Phillip Wilson of the Indianapolis Star. “I know any of you would choose money any day. . . .

“No more of this. No more of this. This is out of my life and I’m done. This is it. No more, no more from me. No more out of me. Like I said, I got to keep working hard every day and just put this in my past and go work on my future.”

That future won’t be for at least another year, as yesterday’s third-strike suspension will cost him this season and a $570,000 salary.

While it’s easy to portray Brazill as a pothead or a doofus who can’t get out of the way of a train he knows is coming down the tracks, it’s also interesting to pair the reaction to his owner, who has also dealt with some substance abuse issues.

Jim Irsay is still awaiting trial for his March arrest for operating while under the influence, and did a stint at a rehab facility and has spoken openly about his struggles with prescription pain medication (which he’s still taking).

But Irsay has generally received more sympathetic coverage there, with Wilson’s co-worker Bob Kravitz describing him as “a sick, sick man,” who “desperately needs help.”

This isn’t his first time for LaVon Brazill. wheres the understanding issue 2 suspensions back to back off seasons…?? Yes he’s and Idiot and Jim Irsay will be punished but “employer > employees there are levels to this in every business whether or not you like it.

jimmysee says:Jul 4, 2014 10:13 AM

But Irsay took the Hollywood Cure — so he’s obviously licked his demons.

brazil already got his “FREEBIE” last year with a 4 game ban. So if Irsay gets a penalty,,thats his first gimmee…
Brazil like most of athletes done have the common sense of freaking gnat. They get their butts pampered,,and learn nothing,,until it’s too late

I believe in being fair to all, so I say this: They are both idiots. It’s a stiff competition to find out who is the bigger one.

Both men are plenty rich to afford some help, even if that is just pay someone (say $100K a year) to follow them around and keep them from messing up again–if they can’t do it on their own. There are enough examples out of there where drugs ruined people’s careers that it’s obvious what they needed to do. What’s really sad is when these clowns hurt other innocent people.

Goodell: The league is very disappointed to learn that one of our players was pulled over for driving erratically while having prescription pills not prescribe to the player, along with $29k in cash. We will act swiftly to show this is not acceptable.

Goodell: I’m now being told that the person I spoke about earlier was and owner and not a player. We’ll wait for the legal process to play out to see how we’re going to act.

Suspending players for 4 then 8 then complete seasons for smoking pot which is legal or decriminalized in a number of states is stupid. Should be 1 game, not 4, for violations of smoking pot. 1 game for first offense 2 games for second offense 3 games for third offense and so on. It certainly is not a performance enhancer.

skunksprayjim says:Jul 4, 2014 10:22 AM

Pain meds including the drugs Irsay was arrested with are highly addictive and people become dependant on them.

Weed (barring rare situations involving certain physical ailments) is not addictive. Sure you can like smoking weed… you can love it. But odds are you aren’t hooked on it.

another idiot who doesn’t understand what it means to perform at a HIGH level

footballfan14 says:Jul 4, 2014 10:24 AM

There is a double standard if someone can’t admit that Brazil is sick like Irsay and needs help. Anyone who picks weed over their childhood dream and that much money is either stupid or very sick. I’m going with sick. If Brazil is that stupid then he doesn’t deserve another shot but I tend to think he is just sick and needs treatment, just like Irsay.

I think the only reason there is a double standard is because we all know you don’t have to be a very smart person to play certain positions in the NFL but you can’t be stupid and successfully run a NFL team. You can have an addiction but not be stupid.

In this case I think Brazil is indeed mentally sick, just like Irsay. If a doctor says he isn’t then Brazil would be one of the dumbest people I have ever seen and I just can’t believe he is as stupid as this looks.

it could be one is in need of treatment because one has a white death pill addiction, and the other is doing something harmless. its not a double standard because it’s not the same substance.

RegisHawk says:Jul 4, 2014 10:27 AM

I’m sure they’d love to treat Brazill the same as Irsay…just a soon as he buys an NFL franchise.

I hope everyone is also keeping this in mind when they try to let Aldon Smith off the hook.

justintuckrule says:Jul 4, 2014 10:27 AM

Kravitz cannot write truth about irsay or the North Korea…errrr…NFL will banish him to MLS.

esracerx46 says:Jul 4, 2014 10:29 AM

Goodell like Adam Silver is a spokesman for the owners of the teams. Until other owners want something done to Irsay nothing will. Conversely, the nba owners saw their brand hurt by Sterling and wanted Silver to act.

6ball says:Jul 4, 2014 10:31 AM

.
Kravitz has be a “house man” for years. Who cares what he thinks?
.

terryleather says:Jul 4, 2014 10:31 AM

Ten year old NFL fans know all about the drug policy and what happens when you violate it. The players themselves say that you have to be an idiot to be caught by it. So the players deserve no sympathy in the matter. The owners don’t face drug testing. It’s just a simple matter of not getting caught by the police for them. Their billions will keep on making them money even if they do get suspended. While a guy that misses a year’s salary for smoking pot has shown that he has no common sense and will likely be broke within the year.

This is so stupid! People abusing pain meds is a real problem in America today. They’re more addicting and people do crazy things to get their hands on them. I’d rather see every single player smoke weed, then to take prescription meds or even drink alcohol. You never hear of a player getting to stoned driving and killing a team-mate. Chances are he sits at home on the couch watching tv and burns one before he goes to bed.

Opiate pills are both highly mentally and physically addictive, when you stop you go thru the most excruciating withdrawal you can imagine. Picture the flu X 100. Weed is mentally addictive, when you stop your crabby for a couple of days. There is a night and day difference between the two. I speak from a lot if personal knowledge. There is no excuse to not give up weed for millions of dollars. The reason Irsay is still taking pills is most likely because he is tapering off to avoid the withdrawal of cold turkey, it’s how most addiction specialists recommend you stop. The drugs they have to help you get off of them, methadone, suboxone, subutex, just allow you to trade one drug for another.

Frazier28/7 says:Jul 4, 2014 10:45 AM

One earns the money for catching a football, the other made the money outside of football and controls the football operation. that’s the difference.

puckthefatriots says:Jul 4, 2014 10:45 AM

The difference is Irsay will still be rich after doing drugs. Brazill won’t and he knew that, which makes him the bigger idiot.

To clear things up for some of ya’ll one just got suspended for a year and lost his entire pay and really was not guaranteed a job (employee)..while the other is likely to be suspended soon but will still make millions because he’s the boss.

psly2124 says:Jul 4, 2014 10:51 AM

It’s not a double standard. First off the players have a contract. There are rules in place that was negotiated by the union that the players pay for in regards to drugs. What contract do owners have in regards to drugs? None. Now if an owned say irsay had such a severe drug problem that the players were not getting paid then it would become an issue and the nfl would step in. By the way how much do the players pay the owners out of there pocket. NADA.

“They should be treated differently. One is a financial invester and one has signed a contract as a player based on an expectation of performance that is not altered by ilegal drug use.”

They’re both human beings, end of story. Irsay’s performance regarding the decision’s he makes is being altered by illegal drug use, and his case is far worse than smoking marijuana. One is nature, the other is man-made chemicals that destroy the brain and body, and he didn’t even have a prescription. So you’re right, they should be treated differently, Irsay should be in jail and forcibly removed from his duties as owner for conduct detrimental to the league.

for the idiots that keep comparing alcohol to pot: One can drink some wine and savor it’s flavor and aroma without getting high. No one smokes pot for its flavor or aroma. One smokes pot to get high, period. They are not similar substances.

As interesting as anything else is the number of players who get a 2nd and 3rd infraction. Just how effective is the NFL’s program? Isn’t it supposed to help players stop using the banned substances? Seems pretty ineffective to me.

The double standard is laughable, but Commissioner Goodell is employed by the owners and reports to them. He was paid $44M last year for his excellent work in protecting the shield. Jim has assured Roger that it won’t happen again.
However, Brazill’s pot smoking has cast a slur on the Colts and the NFL and he deserves his punishment.

icewalker946 says:Jul 4, 2014 11:21 AM

Next time the contract is up for negotiations get the Pot Clause inserted in there to allow, ‘for medicinal purposes’ the use of marijuana.

Come on, NFLPA, stand up for your members. That’s what they are paying union dues for.

Cannabis is not addictive. It is a pretty effective but mild pain killer, though. If I were a football player, I’d take cannabis nightly to sleep.

kaakwha says:Jul 4, 2014 11:26 AM

A double standard for the rich and the “not so rich” (can’t say poor) is no surprise. It goes on daily in the courtrooms of this polarized nation. Irsay is “privileged” and will not face the same penalties as his workers. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.

Piss dirty after the fact and you are apparently not able to earn your living. Drive drunk and pilled up with a bunch of pills you don’t have a prescription for and thousands of dollars you probably used to buy the drugs, that’s fine.

Pills and alcohol are 1,000,000 times (at least) more harmful than marijuana. Damn it america stop being so stupid!

Say what you want about pot, legalize or not legalize it, it’s against the NFL rules, so if you’re caught doing it, you pay a penalty. Bottom line.

The question that hasn’t been answered yet, is why was their a dead woman found at Irsays house? Has he explained this yet?

adoombray says:Jul 4, 2014 11:35 AM

Pot is legal in half the country, why is this even an issue anymore? The NFL is for racist old people who are completely out of touch with reality. Society has shifted away from giving a crap about these things, but cue the Rush Limbaugh crowd to come in here throwing rocks at this guy.

johnelwayishorsefaced says:Jul 4, 2014 11:39 AM

It’s very very very simple: A team owner does not perform on the field during the game so if he chose to take PEDs to enhance his performance or if he chose to smoke marijuana, which could arguably affect his performance in a negative way, it doesn’t impact the quality of the product that the NFL is putting out. I realize it’s a slow news time and it’s become a popular thing to rag on the league for not punishing Irsay yet but the differences between the two situations are so glaringly obvious that it would take a pretty unintelligent person not to notice them.

Weed is not addictive! Ok! That is why all of these idiots can’t stop for a few weeks prior to the April test with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line.

There is no double standard Irsay is not a player nor employee. He owns the team. He will pay a huge fine eventually.

iamdinguskhan says:Jul 4, 2014 12:05 PM

Why would any of you defend these guys choosing weed over their careers? In my job, like so many other jobs, I am subject to drug tests. If I fail I lose my job. Last time I check smoking weed is AGAINST THE LAW! So why is their any justification for them to smoke weed and on top of it lose their high paying jobs in the process. To defend it is totally moronic!

On big difference noone seems to be discussing: Irsay is perfectly capable of doing his job while using his drugs. Marijuana has all sorts of physiological effects that diminish the capabilities of an athlete. An employer who pays their employees based upon their ability to do a physical task has EVERY business setting expectations for how that person treats their body. Which is why they required him to sign (and he agreed to sign) a legally binding contract that identifies those expectations and the consequences for not meeting them. A player who regularly ignores those expectations (and contractual obligations) can expect to face the consequences.

I’m not excusing Irsay’s behavior, and I agree the similarities between the two are worth discussing. But Irsay didn’t sign a contract that said he couldn’t use drugs and provide identified consequences for breaking the rules. And he doesn’t have a job where such rule make sense.

Both broke the law. We can discuss who is getting the more lenient treatment in the legal system (I suspect it is Brazill). The addictiveness or harmful effects could also be discussed, although they are not relevant to the issue here. Stop these storylines about double standards and not being fair: two different people under two different contexts are getting treated differently, but within the legal limits of their offenses.

He’s a grown man who should understand the league’s policies at this point.

That being said, marijuana is now legal is 20+ states at varying levels for recreational/medicinal use. Nearly half of these states allow out of state citizens to legally purchase & legally smoke/consume marijuana/THC products.
It’s time for the league to change their stance. This isn’t going away.

Also, the long term advantage for players using medical marijuana for pain treatment as opposed prescription & over the counter pain medication should ABSOLUTELY be considered by the NFL.

ghost26 says:Jul 4, 2014 12:50 PM

Although I believe marijuana should be legalized the idea that people marijuana isn’t addictive is ridiculous. The reality is that SOME people can get addicted to anything like sugar or video games or jumping out of airplanes for an adrenaline rush. Just look at people on their phones.

ytownjoe says:Jul 4, 2014 12:53 PM

If Kravitz wants to continue to have access, he will continue sucking up to the boss.

Kravitz is Irsay’s guy at the newspaper.

ghost26 says:Jul 4, 2014 12:56 PM

I don’t believe players should even be tested for marijuana. Do they get tested for drinking alcohol which leads to more destructive behavior & is more of a health risk. This country needs to get this straight for once & for all–marijuana doesn’t kill people the way cocaine or heroine or pain killers do,

Maybe Brazill is both but that’s not the point. We’re talking about a failed drug test not an arrest. Irsay was driving under the influence & he was arrested. That’s a far worse offense than failing a random drug test–which isn’t a crime btw–so where Irsay’s punishment??? This is a perfect example of the NFL’s ‘plantation mentality’ with it’s players.

If Goodell had even a shred of integrity like Adam Silver of the NBA, Irsay would be banned from the NFL for a year.

Well here is the problem that either the players or some people on here don’t understand. Players signed a contract as a union with the owners called collective bargaining agreement. In it things liked banned substances penalties and who can be held accountable to the above penalties.

The players are held accountable not the owners. Mary jane is banned. If a player is so stupid that they can’t do a banned substance, AFTER ALREADY BEING POPPED, well lets just all agree that if he wasn’t attempting to catch balls, his job would probably be something on order of “would you like fries with that.”

If the players are tired of the double standard then may i make 2 suggestions:
1. PUT IT IN THE NEXT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. TIL THEN SHUT UP.
2. STOP SMOKING WEED IT IS BANNED AND ILLEGAL DON’T LIKE IT TRY TO GET IT AS A NON BANNED DRUG NEXT BARGAINING AGREEMENT.

dankinator says:Jul 4, 2014 1:30 PM

It’s not an addiction, he’s dumb. Simple as that. And I’m a Colts fan.

eleventyeight says:Jul 4, 2014 1:31 PM

beachsidejames says: Jul 4, 2014 10:13 AM

They should be treated differently. One is a financial invester and one has signed a contract as a player based on an expectation of performance that is not altered by ilegal drug use.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Weed is in no way a performance-enhancing drug.

oldcracker says:Jul 4, 2014 1:32 PM

Money is everything….it is ALL that matters. The more you have, the more you get.

So glad to hear a bunch of nobody’s defend a rich owner so aggressively. This attitude is what makes the practice of screwing the poorer guy and favoring the richer guy in this country possible. It makes the no knock raid on the drug dealer and the call to the lawyer of the swindler to schedule a meeting style of justice ok. Sure the raid seems fitting but shouldn’t swindler get the same treatment?
Who needs equal treatment, huh?

granadafan says:Jul 4, 2014 1:46 PM

“primenumber19 says:
Jul 4, 2014 10:13 AM
Stuff like this is why I have been following the nba more closely recently.”
===========================================

The NBA is losing fans. Even soccer is becoming more popular than the NBA. The US-Belgium game had higher ratings than the NBA finals.

Shocking!!! I did not know Irsay had been signed to an NFL player contract. Wow!

footballfan14 says:Jul 4, 2014 2:03 PM

adoombray,

It’s illegal in the NFL and the NFL has a right to make anything illegal they want to. The only issue I have with marijuana is that too much of it will hurt a player’s performance on the field, just like too much alcohol. I think there does need to be a change to this though. Perhaps allow a legal limit for NFL players just like with alcohol. If you are tested and have a certain amount in your system like with alcohol, you are punished by finding a player has smoked one or two in a few weeks shouldn’t be an issue.

It’s like with Manziel. I have no problem with a party here and there but going out every weekend and being a lazy bum who doesn’t put in the time and effort into getting better as a player is an issue.

These players are paid MILLIONS of dollars, funded by us, to play this game. If this guy is out smoking every single day and isn’t putting in the work that is worthy of millions of dollars then the NFL has a right to stop paying him AKA cut him.

Irsay won’t lose the team and 570,000 is peanuts to him. Whereas Brazill is a fringe guy set to make the league minimum.

I don’t think weed should even be an issue in the NFL, its legal in some places where this very league resides. But thats besides the point.

Brazill isn’t going to make 570,000 any other way. Irsay could literally throw that money in cash out of window today and still be in better shape than most of us tmro. Of course there is a double standard, and Kravitz is absolutely right.

FinFan68 says:Jul 4, 2014 2:12 PM

I am certain to be in the minority here but I don’t see a double standard. Double standards would apply if people in similar circumstance are treated differently. Irsay is in a different situation. He owns a team. It is a business that has players and others as employees. He has a problem, obviously, and it is similar to the substance abuse problems of a player or anybody else. He also is not going to get substance abuse assistance from the league. His rehab is (or should be) coming from his own pockets. Saying this is a double standard is wrong. His treatment is in line with his position. If a team office worker had similar issues he/she would not get the same benefits as the player does. They would likely get fired after one offense with no way of getting their job back. The player has two offenses before disciplinary action is taken. Anyone want to whine about the players being treated differently (better) than the guy in the IT office? No? Probably because they are not on the same level in the organization.

deal deal an illegal substance and you won’t have to worry about a no knock warrant. BTW since you are not very versed in the workings of police departments and their narcotics divisions i’ll just go ahead and inform you that you have to have ample evidence to get a no knock warrant, i.e. undercover buys. No knocks are usually done on houses where undercover officers have bought drugs and they have seen evidence such as drugs and guns. Since guns can kill people up to and including police they don’t give the bad guys time to flush the drugs or grab the guns and prepare to get the officers as the enter the Kill box, ie the doorway. Flooding the house with lots of officers is the only way to ensure that no gun play ensues.

My god people are dumb.

icewalker946 says:Jul 4, 2014 2:16 PM

I think when people want to voice their opinion, they should be more like Henry Fonda instead of Lee J. Cobb from 12 Angry Men.

There just is too much anger in these comments. I like a discussion but not name calling and hate filled statements.

I think there should be an UP/DOWN button as well as an OVERREACTION button that, when it gets to 20 or so votes, readers of the comments can have an option of having those filtered out.

I guess I’d get a bunch of OVERREACTION votes but just think about it, people. We like discussion and banter and humor. Don’t make a comment section so personal.

I ready got in a car loaded and could have killed someone. Whether you think weed smoker are dumb potheads, or not, what Brazill did harmed no one and did not enhance his performance. It’s a dumb policy that should be a target of the union next time the cba is negotiated.

And for those who don’t get how he could do this, my answer is it just becomes part of your life. I remember after college when I was looking for jobs and I had to quite smoking pot. One day I was at a friends, he didn’t know I had quit and just handed it to me. I think he passed it back to me twice before it dawned on me what I was doing and I stopped. People make it out like he is at home shaking and starring at the joint on the table, before finally giving into his addiction. I guarantee it wasn’t like that at all.

88,000 people a year die in the USA from Alcohol
00,000 people a year die in the USA from Cannabis

WAKE UP, BAKE UP

PriorKnowledge says:Jul 4, 2014 2:34 PM

I have degenerative arthritis. I take pain killers. Without the pain killers, I can barely get out of bed and can’t walk because of too much pain. By now, I am addicted. I need more than my doctor will prescribe for me. So I am forced to curtail my activities. If I was rich (and not so scared of jail), I would buy more on the black market so that I could get out of bed more often.

ajd4 says:Jul 4, 2014 2:34 PM

PriorKnowledge says:
Jul 4, 2014 10:55 AM
for the idiots that keep comparing alcohol to pot: One can drink some wine and savor it’s flavor and aroma without getting high. No one smokes pot for its flavor or aroma. One smokes pot to get high, period. They are not similar substances.
————————————————————-

No No No! You don’t have a clue about this at all. People absolutely smoke for the flavor. Not all pot is the same. There are plenty of people, including my alcoholic father that drink wine to get drunk. Stop ranting on things you no nothing about.

Who cares about the argument weed over alcohol. It’s the CBA and nothing else matters. The rest is irrelevant, 3 strikes he’s out. His choice. I get a DUI or test positive for any illegal substance I’m fired now. I choose to follow the rules to stay employed. He choose not to 3x! If pot is non addictive and safe, why are those so stupid to give up a career for it? I don’t care if he lights up or not, but he signed a contract knowing the rules. Maybe he is just really stupid, and stoned.

Irsay was found with pills (and a lot of money) by the police (not a failed test from his employer/NFL), but because this still needs to be adjudicated in court (as opposed to an employer’s testing lab), he is considered innocent until proven guilty.

Is Irsay guilty? Yeah, probably, but he still gets his day in court, and when/if he is found guilty, he will be punished appropriately.

Irsay needs to stick up for his players since he now has two on his team suspended for failing drug tests. I would gain some respect for him for doing that. Until then I have none for the guy for letting the press bury them the way they are on top of the fact that to this day he’s never admitted he’s done anything wrong.

Jimmy Haslam has been an owner for a cup of coffee and after his company got in trouble with the feds publicly stood behind his guy who allegedly got in trouble (Josh Gordon). I guess its the difference between a guy who worked for his billions (Haslam) and a trust fund baby whose been blaming his pill addiction on an injury that half the NFL plays with every year without getting addicted to pain killers (Irsay).

BTW the only way to get addicted to pills is if you’re self prescribing in order to self medicate as doctors won’t prescribe addictive amounts nore will pharmacies fill prescriptions for them (Heck you get flagged if you buy too much Nyquil now). We all know Irsay wasn’t taking that $29,000 to CVS.

Realistically – meaning all of you need to step outside the fantasy world we all wish we could live in – how could Irsay possibly not get preferential treatment? Is anyone surprised by this? If so, are you over the age of 25?

Time for Irsay to do the right thing– Take Brazill under his wing and get him some top-notch rehab and hire him for the same salary he is missing out on.

dave91680 says:Jul 4, 2014 5:05 PM

I really can’t take the POT/WEED isn’t addictive argument any longer.

If you want to argue there’s a double standard with how Irsay was treated over Brazill; then that is a fair argument.

However, as someone mentioned before above owners/presidents/CEO’s of companies are treated differently in every form of business. Let’s not kid ourselves guys.

Now back to Pot not being addictive. Please someone go track down Antrell Rolle’s comments when Will Hill got busted again. Rolle to paraphrase his words; basically said it’s too easy to avoid testing positive to test positive.

You people on here don’t realize that these players have a general idea of when they are getting tested. It’s not totally random as the NFL makes it seem and wants the media to believe.

The NFL prefers not to catch guys. It makes the league look bad when these headline hit the media.

Everyone’s personality is different. I have 2 kids that have been raids exactly the same way. They still have their distinct differences in their behavior.

Some people can drink alcohol and not abuse it. Some it cripples them and they can’t function and it ruins their lives.

Another personality trait is hard work and sacrifice. A lot of the guys really haven’t had to work hard EVER. They are just naturally gifted and don’t have the tools or make-up to make tough choices; or to choose the path that’s tough but essential to their well being.

Pot is the same way. Some people can function with it and drop it at any time, or quit easily because now their employer tests for it. Others have to have it to function….just like some have this same crutch with alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, etc.

Just because Pot hasn’t ruined your life, doesn’t mean it hasn’t for others and lead them to more hard-core drugs.

Not everything the government does is a conspiracy to ruin your weekend pleasure.

caffeene says:Jul 4, 2014 5:13 PM

88,000 people a year die in the USA from Alcohol
00,000 people a year die in the USA from Cannabis

WAKE UP, BAKE UP

Wow. Drop by an addictions meeting and say that.

How is this hard for people to understand? Players are being paid millions of dollars to play football as employees. In return there is an agreement they won’t take PEDs and certain drugs. The player takes the risk and know this they are when they light up. They are making the choice.

Irsay is an owner who is handing out the cash. Everyone thinks this about public perception. It is not. It is about business.

Where is Mr Irsay’s punishment? He has been out of rehab for a while, and nothing has happened. It’s ok to do what he did if you are rich, but if you are not you get the trip to jail and whatever follows. Talk about a double standard.

what’s sad is irsay is railing Roxy 30s in his car, nodding off driving down the road. He’s a junkie and hes lucky he hasnt killed himself or somebody else. He is prescribed legal heroin. Mean while this guy smokes weed and losses an entire season. What a joke.

revelation123 says:Jul 5, 2014 2:25 AM

If a player, owner, or anyone else does these things why should they be punished if they hurt no-one else?

If you can drink alcohol and still perform, then do it. If you can smoke cannabis and still perform, then do it. Why bans or life-ruining legal consequences are thought to be necessary is quite mind boggling. These human-made consequences often turn out to be worse for the person than the drug itself.

Of course they are treated differently since they are fundamentally different. One is a player subject to a collective bargaining agreement and the other is an owner that is not subject to the agreement.

Irsay will be subject to the much more malleable oversight of the the Commissioner and his “good for the game” analysis. In other words, Irsay will not escape without penalty.

luccabrazzi says:Jul 5, 2014 8:12 AM

There’s definitely a double standard going on here, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is really really dumb for choosing to risk it all to smoke the kind green bud. On the other hand Irsay should get an even worse suspension because he is the ruler of men for that organization and he isn’t conducting himself as one as has set a poor poor example for his club and the rest of the league.

Just read that in order to even be eligible to bid on an NFL franchise, 80% of the purchase price MUST be paid in CASH and the league strongly prefers that the prospective owner has at least another 200 million dollars LIQUID assets in order to make a legit. run at ownership…How can these two guys even be talked about in the same sentence? Irsay has serious skin in the game….The player….not so much….at all! If you own the company, do you fall under the same guidelines as your janitor? Once again, ridiculous post. Wrong on so many different levels.

wmgates68 says:Jul 5, 2014 9:58 AM

Frazier28/7 says:
Jul 4, 2014 10:45 AM
One earns the money for catching a football, the other made the money outside of football and controls the football operation. that’s the difference.

Wrong. Irsay got a job with his father that owned a team right after college. He inherited everything he has and has earned nothing outside of football.

—–
You talk about crutches. How people should be above them, and not use substances. Well everyone is not you. Good for you being you. Don’t expect everyone else to be.

Marijuana may be addictive to 5 people out of 100. Which is a way better rate than most anything else. Any other “crutch” as you call it.

You seem like the person who thinks drugs should be illegal. I have an issue with that because most of the time, drugs being illegal hurts people even more.

Marijuana of all “drugs” is the most beneficial one.

It’s too bad you’re to narrow minded to see it.

bgm9876 says:Jul 5, 2014 11:13 AM

Athletes ruin there careers in every sport by doing weed. Stupid just stupid..

luccabrazzi says:Jul 5, 2014 11:14 AM

If you own the company, no you don’t fall under the same guidelines as the janitor but if your organization is in disarray at the top, how then do you come to a conclusion that the company is of impeccable quality? You can’t. Balls roll down hill not up, which means leadership starts at the top. Clearly some have no idea what it takes to run a successful company. And yes those rules apply to “sports companies” as well, hence the reason Irsays bunch have only succeeded once when they’ ve had a window open for a decade or more. Silly comments

There is a difference but it’s not that one has only been caught once. It say had addiction issues in the past. The difference is this time Irsay was actually arrested this time unlike Brazill who merely failed a test

TheDPR says:Jul 5, 2014 12:14 PM

If players want weed to be allowed, they have a union to get that done for them every time the CBA is up. We can say “should” this or “shouldn’t” that but it comes down to the agreement the players and owners agreed to. The players agreed to this double standard.

Next CBA perhaps they can get it changed. For now, it is what it is even if you think it sucks.